The present invention relates to a stand for a computer monitor and a keyboard and, more particularly, to a stand which can be adjusted as necessary for an individual human operator.
A stand for a computer typically includes two shelves for holding the computer monitor and keyboard in a position which allows the operator to sit while using the computer. Hereinafter the term "stand" refers to an assembly for supporting key components of a computer, including a monitor and a keyboard, and optionally including a CPU. These stands can be differentiated from an ordinary desk, in that the monitor shelf is held above the keyboard shelf. This is necessary because the operator must be able to comfortably type on the keyboard while simultaneously looking at the monitor. Thus, the monitor is held at eye level, while the keyboard is held at the level of the operator's hands.
These stands may also include additional shelves, for holding the main body of the computer or a printer, or for holding a telephone, coffee mug and the like. These additional shelves provide a convenient work surface, thereby making the stand a self-contained unit which may be used in place of a conventional desk.
The structure of some of these stands is almost identical to a conventional desk, except that a monitor shelf is provided which is held above the surface of the desk. These stands are inconvenient because the support for the keyboard is not adjustable, since this support is the surface of the desk itself. The inability to adjust the angle of the keyboard can place a significant strain on the operator's wrists. Some stands attempt to alleviate this problem by providing an adjustable section of the desk surface for supporting the keyboard. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,898 to Seidl (hereinafter referred to as "Seidl") describes a stand with a conventional desk structure, an adjustable section for a keyboard, and a shelf for a monitor which is not adjustable. The keyboard section is tiltable and horizontally slidable, and the support for this section is extensible, which enables the operator to adjust the keyboard section so as to minimize wrist strain. However, the monitor shelf is not adjustable, which may cause the neck of the operator to become strained. Furthermore, the conventional desk structure of the stand of Seidl restricts the range of the adjustments to the keyboard section.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,770 to Seiler et al. (hereinafter referred to as "Seiler") discloses a stand with a conventional desk structure, which is an improvement over the stand of Seidl. The vertical position of the monitor shelf and of the keyboard section are both adjustable in the stand of Seiler. The keyboard section is also tiltable. However, the conventional desk structure of the stand of Seiler again restricts the range of adjustments. Thus, the stand cannot be comfortably used while the operator is standing up or sitting on the floor, for example.
Although these stands are clearly more convenient for computer operators than a conventional desk, these stands are still not fully adaptable to the needs of the human operator, largely because these stands still retain a number of characteristics of the conventional desk. However, the conventional desk is not the ideal structure for such a stand, because conventional desks are not adjustable. Computer operators frequently complain of neck strain caused by holding the neck at an uncomfortable angle in order to gaze at the monitor, and of wrist strain from holding the wrists at an uncomfortable angle in order to type on the keyboard. These problems could be alleviated or eliminated if the stand had two independently adjustable shelves, so that the vertical position of each shelf and the degree of tilt of the keyboard shelf could be adjusted to meet the needs of every individual operator.
The stand disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,835 to Reese et al. (hereinafter referred to as "Reese") moves away from the conventional desk structure, in that both shelves are attached to separate posts. Both posts are extensible; that is, the length of each post, and hence the vertical position of each shelf, may be independently adjusted. In addition, the monitor shelf is tiltable; that is, the angle of the monitor shelf relative to the post is adjustable. Finally, the keyboard shelf is horizontally slidable, such that the horizontal distance between the keyboard shelf and the monitor shelf is adjustable. However, no provision is made for tilting the keyboard shelf to reduce the strain on the wrists of the operator. Furthermore, in spite of these many adjustments, the stand of Reese is similar to a conventional desk in that the operator must sit in a conventional chair to use this stand.
There is no reason, however, why computer operators should need to sit in a conventional chair in order to use a computer. Conventional chairs themselves may cause back strain and a host of other problems. The computer operator should be able to stand or even sit in a low chair while comfortably using the computer. A conventional desk structure certainly restricts the position of the operator, since it requires the operator to sit in a conventional chair. Such a requirement can be very inconvenient.
Certain stands do not appear to place such restrictions on the position of the operator, yet these stands are also not sufficiently adjustable. For example, neither U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,969 to Brown (hereinafter referred to as "Brown") nor U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,391 to Lee (hereinafter referred to as "Lee") explicitly states the position which the operator must adopt to use the disclosed stands. However, each stand clearly has a number of disadvantages. First, the height of each shelf of Brown cannot be independently adjusted. Thus, if the stand of Brown were adjusted to a height which minimizes neck strain for the operator, the keyboard shelf might be placed at a height which causes wrist strain, and vice versa. Second, the stand of Lee also has a restricted range of adjustments which may be made to the shelves. As the height of the monitor and keyboard shelves is increased, the horizontal distance between the two shelves is decreased. Thus, both the stand of Lee and the stand of Brown restrict the range of adjustments which may be made to the monitor and keyboard shelves, thereby reducing the number of positions in which these stands may be used.
The ability of the operator to sit in a conventional chair, stand, or sit in a chair which is lower to the floor than a conventional chair, while using the computer depends upon the availability of a stand which can adjust to suit each of these positions. Such an adjustment requires more than a simple alteration in the height of the stand. The horizontal and vertical distances between the monitor and the keyboard need to be adjustable, as does the angle between the keyboard and the floor. These separate adjustments are necessary because as the operator moves from sitting in a low chair to sitting in a conventional chair to standing, the distance between the hands and the eyes of the operator also changes. Thus, simply raising the vertical position of the monitor and keyboard is not enough to allow an operator to comfortably use the computer in such a variety of positions. The horizontal and vertical distances between the monitor and the keyboard must also be adjusted to match the relative position of the operator's eyes and hands. Thus, the overall distance between the operator and the monitor and keyboard must be adjustable.
There is thus a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a stand for a monitor and a keyboard which permits a variety of independent adjustments to the position of the monitor and the keyboard, so that the operator may comfortably adopt a variety of positions while using the computer.